Terence Crawford again addressed Ilia Topuria’s statements and explained why he reacted harshly after the UFC champion’s defeat to Justin Gaethje.
The former world boxing champion admitted that he didn’t even know Topuria: “I didn’t know who he was until he said he was going to knock out me and Canelo. I thought: ‘Who is this guy?'”, he revealed.
Crawford said that, after hearing all the buzz around Topuria’s boxing skills, he decided to watch one of his fights for the first time. However, he said the fighter’s performance did not live up to expectations.
He also maintained that the Spaniard’s claims about being able to beat elite boxers with just a few months of preparation struck him as disrespectful.